just one beating heart
by findingmysealegs
Summary: "Happy New Year, Finn." And he thought that maybe it just might be, and maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to go to the bar after all. AU F/R
1. so, so lovely

**Tag:** "Happy New Year, Finn." And he thought that maybe it just might be, and _maybe_ it wasn't such a bad idea to go to the bar after all.

**Disclaimer: **I do _not_ own anything relating to Glee nor am I directly involved with any of the creators, writers, directors or actors.

* * *

**_So much, so young, I've faced on my own_**  
**_Walls I built up became my home_**  
**_I'm strong and I'm sure there's a fire in us_**  
**_Sweet love, so pure_**  
**_I catch my breath with just one beating heart_**  
**_And I embrace myself, please don't tear this_ apart**

"Bound to You" - Christina Aguilera

* * *

So in hindsight, maybe it wasn't the best decision to go to the bar that night. No, scratch that. It was the _worst_ thing that he could have done at that time. What the hell was he thinking; the bar was the last place that he should be stumbling into, watching everyone celebrating while he just sat there in his own personal misery? Maybe it was the conversation he had with his brother the day before – or maybe it was just that he was getting so damn sick of seeing only the pale blue color of his walls every day.

It wasn't like he was depressed.

Okay, scratch that, too. Finn Hudson may have taken a slight dip into the depression pool.

He wasn't one of those serious cases that you see on T.V., one of those that requires a family meeting on how to "help" him. He was just sad. So _goddamn_ sad, a good majority of the time.

What else was to be expected of a twenty-six year old man, living in New York City and jobless since he just finished his last exhibit. Not to mention that there just wasn't any inspiration he felt, though that might tie into the fact that his muse stomped all over his heart.

_In the middle of said exhibit._

_**The day before Christmas.**_

Okay, so maybe that little dip into the pool was more like a cannonball.

That's how it was for a few days, though. Luckily, his brother let him wallow in his self-pity until the 30th. That was when Kurt came to his small apartment and gave him the biggest lecture he'd had since his mother found his _special_ magazines when she was changing his sheets back during sophomore year of high school.

So that, along with that sick, nauseous feeling that he always got when he stared at the color of his walls for too long, was what pushed him out of bed. That's what helped him to finally throw away the framed photos of **them **and that stupid organizer that she got him for his birthday. Why he was given an organizer for his birthday, he'll never know, but he accepted it with a smile because he was just so, _so_ in love with her.

Fuck.

No, he can't think about those feelings. He can't think about how her hair was so shiny, or how her skin felt so soft under his hands. Fuck _**fuck**_.

Maybe that is what really helped him to take those steps to the bar. He just needed to drink; drink and get so drunk that her perfect blonde hair would stop teasing him and he could maybe get those stunning green eyes out of his mind.

* * *

Everyone is in giant clumps when he makes it to the bar. That's to be expected though, especially with the clock getting closer and closer to midnight. A new year. That's supposed to be good, right? A time to renew yourself and to finally do all of those things that you've been putting off, saying that you'll do it another day.

It'd be a lot easier to move on and actually do something with his life, if only he could just quit thinking about her for _one_ second.

When he finally makes it to the large bar in the middle, the music is loud and bodies fill the area. He tapped his fingers against the counter to signal for a beer and kept his head down, his forehead meeting with the grimy surface of the bar – the stickiness a telltale sign that there was just a bit of alcohol going around.

Something makes a thud in front of his head, and Finn finally lifted his head to look into the eyes of the only person who he has been able to call his best friend. She gave a familiar sneer before letting air out through her lips. Her fingers moved to rake through his hair and he found comfort in that small touch, finally lifting his whole head off of the bar. Santana stared at him for just a moment and then gestured to the beer, "It's on me, Lurch. Just try not to spit it all over like you did at Thanksgiving."

So maybe she wasn't the _ideal_ best friend material, but she was the only person who had actually never made him feel like he wasn't good enough. They had their banter, but he knew that they had that friendship where it didn't matter if they stopped talking; it didn't matter if he moved across the world or if she yelled at him for hours. They were stuck, and that was the way it had been since grade school.

He smiled as best that he could at her before she was called down the bar. Finn brought the bottle to his lips and let the cold liquid make his body feel something other than the complete numbness that he had felt for the past week. His eyes moved around the bar as he swiveled in the bar stool, watching as couples swayed together on the pseudo-dance floor that had been created. There was a group in the corner where it appeared that none of them were dating, instead they were all just grouped together and laughing as one of the men tried to get one of the girls to try his shot.

Finn licked his lips and turned his gaze down to the bottle, his thumbnail picking at the label as he felt his nerves start to actually come alive. He took another drink and set it back on the bar as he faced that way again. It looked like Santana was on a break, and he watched as she slung a rag over her shoulder and hopped over the bar to sit in the spot next to him. In a flash, she took his bottle from in front of him and drank a large gulp, "How the hell can you even drink that shit?"

His lips curved and he gave a small shrug, "You get used to it eventually." Without missing a beat, the woman smirked at him and spat back with a quirked brow, "Is that how you thought about your little Princess?" Finn narrowed his eyes and grabbed his beer back, "Real nice, San."

With the flick of her hand, she dismissed his attitude with a softer tone, "Hey, you know that she wasn't good for you. She practically planned your whole life for you, and she wanted you to give up your dream. What the fuck, Huddy?"

It wasn't really like that. Okay, maybe it was. From the time that he met Quinn Fabray, it was as if he didn't need to worry about anything that didn't involve what she wanted. He was actually surprised when she told him that she wanted him to go for his dream. Of course there was a 'but', and that included that his dream could only last for four years and then he had to settle down with her and get married and have exactly two babies, but they had to be with at least two years difference so she could get her body back into shape – and there was just _so_ much!

Finn blew through his lips against and let his forehead fall into his palm, his elbow supporting the weight. He shook his head and tried to find his voice, "It... _Fuck_. It was nice to have someone, okay? Maybe we weren't perfect, but what relationship is? A-And she wanted to be with me forever. It's nice for someone to look at you and decide that you're good enough for that, that you are who they really want."

A hand rubbed his back and he tried to give a thankful smile, but it just came out to be a twitch of his lips. Santana finished off his beer and slapped him lightly on the back, "Listen to me, Finnocence. You know that I'm not a real big believer in relationships, but I know of a good one when I see it and that one was simplemente _malo. _I really wish you would have let me talk to her." He actually laughed softly, remembering how she had threatened to go Lima-Heights on _her _the minute that she found out what happened and he knew exactly what she meant when she said "talk".

Sighing, he sat up straight and chewed on the inside of his cheek thoughtfully. He knew that she was right. He wasn't happy, he hadn't been happy in that relationship since after the first year. Still, he really thought that she was his future. Maybe her planning wasn't his perfect life, but it was better than what he could come up with on his own.

It was a brand new year, though. Or at least... it would be in three minutes and twenty-two seconds. Finn cleared his throat and actually managed a smile to fill out his lips. He looked over at his friend and she quirked her brow at him, a question on if he was okay. His smile widened just a bit and he nodded, pulling her hand from his hand and bringing it to his lips to press a kiss against her knuckles, "You're right. It's time to move on to... to bigger and better things. I don't... I don't need her."

Santana gave a genuine smile back to him and pulled her hand from his to slap his cheek lightly twice, "Thatta boy. You know that if I batted for your team I would be all over that. Rebounds are my specialty." Finn made a face at her and swatted her hand away, "Yeah, yeah. Just get me another drink." Santana hopped off of the stool and bumped her hip against his, "Drunk rebounds are even better."

He shook his head at her as she pushed herself back over to the other side of the bar. Another minute passed and Finn could hear as the excitement grew. Even if there wasn't a clock miles around him, he was pretty certain he could tell exactly what time it was just by how loud the crowds were getting. He drank from his second beer and swiveled in his stool again.

A second look around the bar told him just how much everyone was looking forward to the new year.

The couples had stopped dancing and were now standing around the television sets in the corners, watching a band perform on the stage over in Hollywood. His eyes traveled back over to the friends in the corner and a smile twitched on one side of his mouth as he saw the same girl who was being practically force-fed a shot was now flicking liquid from her own class across the table. They were all still laughing and a part of him wished that maybe he knew them. Maybe then he wouldn't feel so hollow when one person leaves his life.

Another minute passed and Finn set his empty bottle on the bar, Santana quickly replacing it with another. He offered a grateful smile and was about to turn in his stool again for more people-watching, when suddenly a body almost smacked straight into his. Something dug gently into his shoulder and Finn furrowed his brow as he turned to look at what was inflicting the dull bother against him.

It was a party hat.

And it said 2013 on it, with glitter glued on each number, and it had to be the ugliest thing he had ever seen.

At least, that's what he thought until he saw the long brown hair that was messy from the string, parts of it sticking out of the scarf that she wore. Finn stared at the flimsy hat, frowning as it was snagged in the long locks. He almost reached out to help the poor woman, but that would be weird right?

Instead, Finn just turned back forward and tried to ignore the sensation as the corner of the hat pushed into his arm again. It wasn't painful, it was just annoying.

She didn't notice. How could she when she was busy giggling, trying to calm herself down enough to actually get something from the bar that she made so much trouble in getting to.

If her laugh wasn't so damn musical, he might have said something.

His throat felt dry, so he took another sip and it was then that the girl finally realized that there was someone next to her, or that's what he could deduce as he heard her voice then, "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry. I didn't even realize my hat had fallen off!"

And it was the most beautiful sound he had heard all his life.

It took him a moment to realize that she was actually addressing him, that she wasn't just talking to someone else. He slid his eyes over towards her and his heart just about stopped when he realized that it was the girl at the table in the corner.

She was still smiling at him, and all he was doing was staring at her.

_Say something. Say anything. She is a human being, talk to her like one. Don't just sit there!_

"It was poking me."

_You should write speeches. Dumbass._

Except, then she started laughing. She adjusted her hat and the string snapped back into place and her eyes were bright, _so_ bright as they focused back on him, "I'm truly sorry about that. My friends-" she hitched her thumb back to show him the corner table that he had stared at, "-they like to give me a hard time, so they said it was my turn to buy the drinks since I just became legal to drink. I think I may have overdid it tonight."

How did she have enough air for all that?

He blinked at her and his mouth dropped open a bit, "O-Oh." _Fuck, seriously? Just be normal! _He cleared his throat and offered her a small smile, "I-It's time for celebration though, right? A new year?"

It was as if he had said the most magnificent thing in the world. Her eyes widened and the prettiest pair of lips he had ever seen parted as she sucked in a quick breath and _holy hell, _how was she so lovely? And why the hell was that the perfect to describe her? His vocabulary for women usually stayed with "hot" or "pretty", but here he was thinking that this woman – this stranger was absolutely, and purely lovely.

She reached out and gently took his cheeks in her hands, "Exactly! You understand! You must be a wonderful human being..." Her voice trailed off and he knew that she wanted his name.

"U-Uh, Finn."

God, no wonder he failed Spanish in high school. He can't even grasp English.

"Finn! Yes, you understand. We're in the most beautiful city in the world and it's the start of a new year, and it's just time to do everything that you've ever wanted to do!" She ran her thumb over his cheekbones and he couldn't breathe.

Thankfully, she pulled away and he very quickly took a large sip of his beer. She made a face at him and shook her head, "I've tried that, and it is just atrocious. How can you drink that?" Finn licked his lips then and turned his eyes to lay them on her, "I..." And then he just looked at her, at the way that her eyes were actually asking him – she wasn't just asking for no reason. Her bottom lip was held captive by her teeth and just briefly did he let his gaze drop there. He focused on the way that her hair felt _just so_ and his fingers itched to feel if it was as soft as he thought it was.

Shit.

She still wanted an answer.

With a smile that wasn't as forced as he thought it would be, Finn just shrugged his shoulders, "I guess I just like it."

Her grimace disappeared and she nodded, "Okay then, Finn." She suddenly broke into a giggle and her hands slapped down on the bar, "I forgot that I have to order the drinks! Oh no, and I haven't even introduced myself!"

She found his hands with hers and damn it if her hands weren't the softest that he'd ever felt. Finn looked down at their fingers and smiled for just a moment as he compared the sizes, but then she was talking and he knew that he had to listen to her or he would regret it.

"-irthday is in December, actually! It's my birthday _month_, Finn. Oh-oh! My name is Rachel Berry, by the way. Rachel Barbra Berry, and before you ask – yes I was named after the legend herself, Barbra Streisand." He had no idea who that was, but he did know that Rachel Berry was in front of him now and that was enough to keep his smile on his face.

Seemingly pleased by his reaction, she continued, "I'm going to be famous, you know. That's why I'm in New York – other than that I was born here. I'm going to be on Broadway, Finn and – oh my gosh, it's only thirty seconds until the new year! Only thirty more seconds and then we're going to get that brand new start!"

A part of him, a big part of him actually, was thinking (hoping?) that maybe she meant that _that_ brand new start included them _together, _but as soon as he had that thought he erased it. No, she was obviously tipsy and they had just met a minute ago. It didn't matter that her voice was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard and it only matched that she may just be the most beautiful person he had ever seen – in that way that is so subtle until it was all that he could see.

Everyone was counting down and her hands were still in his and he knew that he just wanted to hold on, even if his head was telling him that nothing good could come out of it. He wanted to hold on to Rachel Barbra Berry for as long as she would let him.

"Finn?"

He snapped out of his thoughts and looked at her, "Yeah?"

She smiled at him then, and her eyes looked still so bright and the way that she grinned at him made him believe that every bit of her was just that bright. That smile was moving, and Finn realized that he really needed to quit losing himself in this girl.

"Are you alone?"

"I-I... Not right now. I'm with _you_ right now."

And again it was like he had said the most perfect thing because her smile widened and she gave a nod, "You are correct!"

And then she started counting down and Finn swallowed thickly. His palms were on fire as she touched her fingertips against them. He looked down at them and the voice around him all joined together, "Ten!... Nine!... Eight!... Seven!... Six!..."

"Finn!"

He looked up again and she was still smiling as she squeezed his fingers. His mouth opened and he found himself breathing out the numbers with her, "Five... Four... Three... Two... O-"

And that's when Finn Hudson finally thought that maybe he didn't need to dip in that pool anymore, because Rachel Barbra Berry was kissing him and if she was going to be a star then that meant that maybe he did mean something. He didn't focus on the fact that she had been drinking, or that her lips tasted like something fruity – all that mattered was that her hands were holding on to his cheeks so softly and she just kissed him so nicely. It wasn't quick or filled with passion. It was soft and slow and so, _so_ lovely – just as lovely as she was.

It lasted years. They didn't pull away until the year was a minute old, and Finn was gasping for air as he just kept his eyes closed. She giggled at him and smoothed her thumb over his cheekbone again, "Happy New Year, Finn."

And he thought that maybe it just might be, and _maybe_ it wasn't such a bad idea to go to the bar after all.

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_ Hi there! Thank you so much for reading, and I hope that you could take the time to put a review in! That really helps, more than you could know! Don't worry, this isn't a one-shot. It started out being that way, but then I decided to split it up into short chapters - because I think it would just be a better told story that way, and I can take more time with the characters and plots. :)

I hope that you enjoyed this first chapter, and I'm super excited for this story!

I hope you all have a fantastic start to your New Year! :)


	2. friendly

**Tag:** "Happy New Year, Finn." And he thought that maybe it just might be, and _maybe_ it wasn't such a bad idea to go to the bar after all.

**Disclaimer: **I do _not_ own anything relating to Glee nor am I directly involved with any of the creators, writers, directors or actors.

* * *

**_So much, so young, I've faced on my own_**  
**_Walls I built up became my home_**  
**_I'm strong and I'm sure there's a fire in us_**  
**_Sweet love, so pure_**  
**_I catch my breath with just one beating heart_**  
**_And I embrace myself, please don't tear this_ apart**

"Bound to You" - Christina Aguilera

* * *

"Finn, you just have to meet my friends! They'll absolutely adore you!"

He doesn't know how they get from kissing to her pulling on his hand to try to get him to head over to the table in the corner. Well, he knows that she just said that, but all that he can really concentrate on is trying to see how many more times he can get her to kiss him just like she did moments before – how many times he can actually feel that buzz that has nothing to do with the alcohol.

The bar is still crowded and if he turned his head to the left, then he would see a confused expression on his own friend's face, matched perfectly with a small scowl. He just turned his head back to where Rachel was leading him, and sure enough he was standing in front of the table that he had stared at more than he hoped they noticed.

A quick count told him that there were four others there, two women and men each. They were all laughing when the pair approached the table, and that's when a man with a shaved head yelled for her, "Hey, Berry! Did you bring the drin-wait who the hell is this?"

His cheeks felt warm and usually the feeling of towering over everyone and everything in sight was expected, but Finn felt his throat go dry as he stood in front of her friends. They all got quiet and just stared at him. Trying to turn the attention away, he turned his own eyes on Rachel, only to find that she was staring with a huge smile up at him, "This is Finn! He was my New Year's kiss, you know, and he totally understands that I'm going to be a star, and do you know what he said when I told him about the new year and starting over? He agreed with me!"

There was a laugh from one of the women before the man that had spoken before stood up and clapped Finn on the back, "Well shit, if you can get Berry to kiss you as a stranger then you must be good people." He held out his fist in front of him, "Noah Puckerman here, but call me Puck." Finn rose his own fist and hesitantly bumped it against his, "Finn Hudson... but call me.. uh, Finn."

God, when did he get so socially-awkward?

Puck slid back into the booth and Rachel scowled at him, the first time that Finn had seen her face look so positively offended, "Noah! I didn't kiss a _stranger_, I knew his name _before_ I kissed him."

She slid into the other side of the booth and kept her hold on his hand, pulling Finn along with her. Everyone shifted to make room, and that's when Rachel began to point around the table and introduce everyone, her friends giving him a wave in return. The woman next to Rachel was named Tina and, despite his original thoughts about everyone being single, she was dating the man next to her, his name being Mike. Next to Mike sat a blonde woman that was introduced as Brittany, and then it came full around to Puck, who asked again where the drinks were.

Rachel groaned and she slapped her hand against her forehead, "Oh, _shoot_! I forgot again!"

His lips twitched and a small smile curved on them. She was adorable. So adorable that, as he looked at the hat perched on her head still, he couldn't help but think that _that_ paper hat was adorable as well.

Being a gentleman, and only wanting to be a little less awkward, Finn stood and gave her a small smile when she pouted that his hand left hers, "I-I'll get them. To... new friends, right?"

Her face lit up again and Finn could swear up and down that his heart jumped around in his chest. He licked his lips and turned to head back to his previous seat as the "new friends" behind him began to chatter. He automatically found Santana with his eyes and she did _not_ look entirely pleased. Finn swallowed and his hand found the back of his neck, running his fingers over the short hairs that were there as he tried to smile and somehow explain himself, "Hi".

Santana looked like she wasn't having it, though, and she pointed down at the stool that he had occupied before. He dropped into the seat and his forehead made contact with his palm as he groaned, "Just make it quick... I think I actually have to go back there". Not to mention that he actually wanted to.

She just sneered at him and tapped her particularly (or maybe just in this situation) sharp nails against the top of the table, "Finn Hudson, would you mind telling me who the fuck that was and why the hell she was kissing you?"

Just thinking about the kiss made a dopey smile spread over his lips as he picked his head up and looked at her, and Santana looked like she wanted to scratch it off of him. He cleared his throat and shrugged a bit, "Her name is Rachel Berry. She's... going to be a star, y'know?" Seemingly unimpressed with his small introduction, Santana just scowled and shook her head.

"You let a stranger kiss you? Are you _that_ depressed?"

Her voice sounded like she was teasing him, but Finn still glared at her – earning a glare right back, "Look, Huddy... it's fine and dandy to have one night stands to try to get over someone, but getting to know them and hanging out with their friends? That is _not_ a one night stand, and if you're not careful then you're going to just end up right back in this spot, but instead of Quinn, _she_ is going to be the one that I have to have that _talk_ with."

Finn had a disgruntled sound and he turned his eyes straight, training them on the bottles of liquor that were assorted on the wall. He took a deep breath and hesitated before he responded, "W-What if... I don't want a one night stand? Come on, San...you know that I'm not that kind of guy..._anymore_". He had to make sure to correct himself when she gave him a pointed look.

Santana gave him another look and she finally softened her expression to look at him sadly, "Finn, I'm going to be honest with you. You're not ready for another relationship, not with how Quinn screwed you over. Can you... just promise me that you're going to not rush into things like you just _love_ to do?" As a response, he shifted his eyes to hers and then found his gaze moving again to the table in the corner. This time, though, Rachel was staring right back at him and as soon as their eyes met she gave him another one of her bright smiles.

Swallowing down the truth, Finn turned back to Santana and gave a nod, "Y-Yeah, of course. It's...It's too early, and I don't even know her, right?" She quirked her brow at him and hesitated before nodding and at least partly convinced by his lie. He turned his head back to the table quickly before telling Santana that he needed drinks, "You're the bartender... I guess surprise me." She got to work, mumbling about how this was _not_ going to be covered by her, and soon enough he was carrying a tray back to the table.

There were sounds of approval as he set the drinks in front of them, and he took his seat back next to Rachel. She curled into him, her arms wrapping around one of his and her head fell against his bicep. His breath hitched, but he kept that smile on his face as they all raised a glass each and toasted, "To new beginnings, new friends, and new... new directions!" They all pushed their glasses to meet in the middle of the table, and yeah, maybe he could do it. Maybe he could take things slow and there was that expression about always needing more friends, right? Finn drank from his glass and his eyes caught Santana's – sure enough she was staring at him from the bar with her brow still arched. He gulped and looked back as conversation picked up around him.

There was a story being told about how Rachel had once sent a girl to a crack house when they were in high school. Sure, there was a part of him that wished he had been there when they all went to school together, but that's normal. Rachel tried in vain to defend herself, claiming that it wasn't an _active_ crack house and so it didn't count. When the group dismissed her attempts to amend herself, she just burrowed further into his arm and Finn looked down at her as she pouted. Yeah, he could totally take things slow. It didn't matter that he wanted to kiss that pout right off her mouth, or that he wanted to kiss a lot of things right off of her.

He could do it.

* * *

Okay he couldn't do it.

Her lips were pressed hard against his when he had that thought, and he almost laughed aloud, but then her hand was moving down his cheek and she managed to locate the top button of his shirt. His own hands were gripping onto her hips, and _**fuck**_ if she kept moving her hips against him like that then how the hell was going to actually manage a thought?

Somewhere between that first and fifth drink that the group had together, Rachel had pressed one of her small hands against his thigh. For the thirteen minutes that it remained there, he swore that he didn't breathe the tiniest bit. When she finally moved it, it was only to his knee – but at least he could manage a breath and his thoughts weren't devoted to thinking about what would happen if she just moved her fingers a little to the right.

After that last toast, everyone started to get up and talked about how they needed to get home for class. Mike and Tina went to NYU, meanwhile Brittany and Puck just had a rented apartment on the opposite side of town and they had work in the morning, Brittany being a dance instructor and Puck had found quite a dream job as guitarist for those catchy jingles that are heard in commercials.

Rachel was a student at NYADA, and if it weren't for Kurt then he wouldn't know what the hell that was. He heard enough from his brother to know that it was pretty preposterous or.. presentable, a word like that.

"Prestigious."

He turned his head and his shocked facial expression made Rachel giggle as the two walked out of the bar. She lived in an apartment not far from the bar, so he offered to walk her home. That's taking it slow, that's _friendly_.

"Did I say that out loud?"

She nodded and gave a shrug, "But that's okay. Your brother is right, though. It's actually quite an interesting story on how I was accepted, I'll have to tell you about it!"

He wanted to ask her if he'd mind telling it to him now. In fact, he wanted to ask her to tell him her whole life story – that would certainly fill his time up better than anything he had planned.

She asked if Kurt was interested in Theatre and Finn just grunted a response about how he almost got in, but then found his passion in fashion – which worked out because he wasn't accepted anyway. Rachel frowned at that and she asked why, but he didn't have an answer for her. He thought Kurt was pretty great at a lot of things that he did, singing and performing just being a couple.

"Things always have a funny way of working out how they're supposed to. I'm sure this is just another case of that."

He thinks about her words there, opening his mouth to tell her how that might just be what he needed to hear, but then she tore away from him and kicked a pile of snow. God, how was she even alive? Someone who just says something that knocks the wind right out of you, and then in the next second she is jumping on small balls of snow.

Her laughter is contagious, though, and soon he finds himself jumping with her. Genuine smiles are exchanged between them, the drunken buzz that they both feel so warm and tempting to give into. She jumped on one right in front of him when he grasped her arms with his hands, and they just stared at each other. She laughed again and then moved out of his reach again, shouting that they only have one more block to go before she skipped off.

By the time he catches up to her (because he wasn't going to skip no matter how cute she was, though she was pretty damn close to him giving in) they are just a few doors away from her building. She stopped at a light post and jumped onto it, swinging around to wait for him to walk up to her.

The sky was still dark, and if he had to make a guess then it would be around two in the morning. There wasn't an ounce of drowse in his body, and he had an inkling that maybe it had something to do with the tiny girl who sent electricity through him every time her hands touched his own, or when her hair would hit against him in the slight wind.

He didn't even realize it was his own laughter that he heard in the otherwise silent area until he saw her own smile as she told him that she liked his laugh. His cheeks felt warm, but he just held out a hand and she took it to hop off of the light. She wobbled a bit, and Finn kept her straight as they walked down to her building.

She was humming some sort of tune, but with her voice, Finn was pretty confident that she could be humming one of his report cards from high school and he would still think that nothing ever sounded so beautiful. He tells her that she has a pretty voice and the look that she gave him was as if to say that he hadn't heard anything yet.

The building that she lives in doesn't look entirely different than any other that is on the block. It's large and from the dark he can tell that it's a light color, and he kind of imagined that she'd live somewhere... a bit more glamorous. She's already tied him around her pinky, and any person that can totally bewitch someone like that deserves to live somewhere that's just as magnificent as they are. She doesn't seem to mind, though, because she pulled him right up to the door with her and wrapped her arms around his waist, her voice telling him that it's only a temporary step in the grandeur life that she will live in the future. He doesn't know what 'grandeur' means, but grand means pretty great, so he knows that she's right. He's only known Rachel Berry for just over two hours, but he's certain that she's going to be 'grandeur', more than _anything_ else in his life.

And he wanted to kiss her. She was just staring at him with big brown eyes, but not like just brown. No, her eyes were like... _brown. _Like, he couldn't even think of a more beautiful color, but then he let himself lower his gaze down and her lips were making him think again. They were so plump and rosy, and he just wanted to taste them – _her_, one more time.

That wouldn't be going slow.

So he pulled away and just raised a shaky hand to rest it.. on her shoulder? That seemed friendly enough. With that, he pulled away and shook his head at himself as he walked down the steps of her building.

What the _fuck_? You touch her fucking shoulder and then just walk away?

"Finn!"

He stopped and turned back to face her. She had a frown on those pretty lips, and he licked his own. They just stood there and stared at each other for a second before she came running down the steps and towards him. Before she could make it to him, she stepped on some ice just a bit too quickly and he tried to get to her quick enough. He managed to hold her up from falling, but she groaned and when she tried to stand straight, her legs buckled and she yelped in pain.

"Well now you c-can't just leave. You have to carry me, Finn."

Her voice was quiet and he could tell that she was trying not to cry, so he just nodded and whispered an 'okay' to her before kneeling and scooping her into his arms. He made sure to be careful of her legs as she unlocked the door and directed him through the hallways to the stairs. It was lucky that she only lived on the third floor, and she unlocked the door to her apartment when he managed to find the way there.

Rachel told him where to find her first aid kit and he dutifully got her an ice pack, as it looked like her ankle was just twisted, and then wrapped some of the bandage that he found around it. She pouted and mumbled about how it hurt the entire time, but it wasn't annoying like it was whenever Quinn would complain of cramps or _whatever_ lady business she had.

When he was done, he sat back in the chair and just rested his hand on her calf as her legs rested in his lap. She closed her eyes and then pointed down to her ankle, "Will you kiss it? Make it feel better?" He almost laughed, but she seemed completely serious and who was he to reject a request from someone in pain? Or at least, that's what he would tell Santana if she asked what happened.

So he bent down and pressed his lips against the bandage, gently running his hand over her legs. A small smile spread on her lips and then she pointed at her other ankle, "That one's jealous, Finny."

He kissed her other ankle.

Soon she had pointed to three others spots, and she rested her index finger on her lips, "Finn..."

Kissing her again wasn't fireworks. It wasn't butterflies, and it didn't make his foot pop or whatever that movie that Kurt made him watch one time said (though maybe that was just for the girl). No, kissing Rachel was like a slow warmth that started in his chest and just spread through his whole body, from the top of his head to the very end of his toes. His whole body felt tingly and everything just seemed so much better.

It was tricky, with trying to make sure that he didn't hurt her ankle, but somehow she had murmured against his lips that she had more spots for him to kiss, but they were in the bedroom... so, Finn went to the bedroom. He'd have to explain to Santana, but he didn't really care what she would think. Rachel Berry wanted him to kiss things in her bedroom and as much as that sounded a bit different than how he imagined these sort of situations to go, he wasn't about to tell her no.

So that's how she ended up on his lap, on the edge of her bed and she pushed his shirt off of his shoulders when she finally unbuttoned all of them. Her jacket had long since found a place on the floor and his hands were rested on her spine when he felt her bottom half push against his. His head fell back and he hissed out a curse, his eyes falling closed when her lips moved to his neck, "W-Wait, Rach. Are you sure? We're.. we're drunk and.. _**fuck**_, Rach."

She smoothed over the bite she just made with a swipe of her tongue and his hands gripped hard onto her hips, pushing his hips against hers as her breath tickled his skin. Rachel pulled back and just smiled at him, "If I wasn't sure then I wouldn't have invited you up."

He thought about retorting that he kind of _needed_ to come up since she hurt herself, but if she said she was sure then he wasn't going to waste another second. He slid his lips back against hers and his hands rose on her body until she pulled back to grasp the bottom of her sweater and she pulled it off her body. His throat dried and he could barely breathe as she firmly attached her lips back to his.

He'd been with women before. He and Quinn had been together for a while, but there were girls before her and during their break that they had in the middle of their relationship. Finn would like to think that he had a reasonable amount of experience when it came to activities in the bedroom from those nights, even if it'd been a while since Quinn kind of ended sex a little bit before she broke up with him.

The pain was still there, but every time he kissed Rachel it felt like it went away a little more, so he kept his lips on a part of her for as long as he could – her lips, her cheek, her jaw. She breathed a moan against him and he felt his body react to everything, knowing that she could just feel how much he wanted her.

She moved her small hands down to the button of his jeans, and Finn choked on a breath against her neck. His hips automatically moved up and he groaned at the feeling as she pushed back against him. She brought her lips back against his and Finn fell back against the bed. _Shit_. He tried to sit up, releasing his hold on her, "Baby, your ankle!"

Her head shook and she grabbed his hands to put them back on her hips, "I'm fine, it already feels better. You're very good at bedside manor, but I don't want you just on the side anymore."

Well. Okay.

So he rested his hands back on her hips, rubbing the fabric of her skirt with his thumbs as their bodies rocked together. Her hands were skirting around his chest and Finn felt like he could burst into flames at any point, the scorches so hot that were left against his skin. He moved one of his hands to the back of her head to keep her there, feeling her soft locks around his fingers. She pushed her hips against his particularly hard and his head fell back against the bed, "_Fuck_, baby. Don't _do_ that."

Her lips were curled into a smirk and she sat up on his body, and soon her hands were dipping down into his pants once she had unzipped them. He hissed and his hands held onto her hips a little harder, trying not to just float away. It all just felt so good, _too_ good. For the first time since high school, he found himself picturing the mailman as his mom's car slammed into him.

He wouldn't last if her hand stayed wrapped around him like it was, so he pushed it away and his hand wrapped around the back of her neck to pull her lips back to his. Honestly, if nothing else was happening and he was just kissing her then he thinks that would be more than enough. His drunken mind was telling him that it wasn't, and he felt the burn to feel her skin against his.

It was a blur from there.

His jeans were next and were quickly followed by her skirt. Hands were all over and he made sure to mind her ankle, even if she said that it felt better. He rolled her on her back and made sure to kiss every inch of skin as he unclasped her bra, and slid her frilly panties down. It made him smile that they were donned by gold stars all over the fabric.

Her own hands were busy with his boxers and after a moment they were just skin against skin, and Finn had to stop and calm himself down again, her hands rubbing against the muscles of his back.

He asked her one more time if she was sure and she gave him a kiss for an answer.

* * *

"_Finn.._"

His voice was tight as he answered, "Yeah, baby?"

"More."

Her hand found his and she laced their fingers together.

He brought them to his lips and kissed each of her knuckles before raising their hands above her head and he pressed into her a little quicker.

* * *

"I... Finn, I'm.."

"_Rachel_."

He kissed her hard and felt her whole body wrap around him, her hands squeezing the muscles of his back and she let out a soft gasp into his mouth, his own body overcome with the warmth that she caused him as he let go.

* * *

He wasn't really a cuddler, but maybe that was from experience. Quinn never wanted to cuddle, and she would always just rush for the shower afterwards. At first he thought that was an invitation, but after he was smacked with one of those hard sponges, he knew never to follow her.

It was completely different as he felt Rachel cuddle up to his chest, though. Her arm wrapped around his waist and he mimicked her actions, his fingertips drawing small shapes on her back. She was so soft and warm, and everything that he wanted so much – but whether or not he meant just that night or forever was the question that scared him to death.

Like, he doesn't even know her. She's drunk and who knows what she's like when she's sober. He had a feeling that she would still be pretty awesome, though.

Then again, he's just as drunk as she is and so what if she has the same thoughts that he does? Is she worried at all about what would happen when they woke up?

Finn looked down at her only to see her eyes shut and her long eyelashes fluttering, and his mouth formed half of a smile before he just pressed his lips against her forehead and felt his body become so heavy with exhaustion.

His only thought before he let sleep take over was how he was _definitely_ glad he went to the bar.

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_Oh my goodness. Okay, I just have to start out by saying that I am overwhelmed by the response that I got from the first chapter. Honestly, I wasn't real confident about it, but I figured "why not". I'm just so glad that so many people are enjoying the story and I really hope that you guys have enjoyed this chapter.

I want to thank all of you for reviewing and messaging me and everything that you guys do! You really are the best motivators and it's just a real honor. :)

Just a warning, I'll probably be able to do one more chapter but then I will be gone from the 8th to the 12th, but don't you worry because then I will be back and probably will update as soon as I get home!

I hope you all are having a fantastic week/start to your year. :)


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